Barcelona ended the season with a 2-1 victory at Sevilla in LaLiga on Sunday, making departing coach Xavi s farewell bittersweet after a trophy-less season.
La Blaugrana came out all guns blazing from the start and took the lead in the 15th minute through Robert Lewandowski who scored from close range after latching onto Joao Cancelo s cross.
Sevilla levelled with Youssef En-Nesyri s strike in the 31st minute and went close again but failed to beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen before Barca got the winner on the hour through Fermin Lopez.
Barca were already guaranteed second place going into Xavi s final game. The Spaniard was sacked on Friday, after a disappointing campaign in which they lost the Spanish Supercopa final to Real Madrid and were knocked out of the Champio…
Quique Sanchez Flores believes he has found an ideal place to build after committing to Espanyol for the next three years.
The former Watford boss was presented to the media on Monday and outlined his plans for the Liga outfit.
In recent years what moves me is the heart and I where I think I can be happy and do the job, the 51-year-old said.
What I want is to do my job well and get the fans [on side]. This is our work.
Espanyol is an ideal place to build. I want the club to regain its most competitive and historic identity.
Flores was not kept on at Watford despite guiding them to a 13th-placed Premier League finish in his only season at the helm after they had been promoted from the Championship.
He has also managed the likes o…
According to Fabrizio Romano, Crystal Palace are on the verge of agreeing a free transfer of Daichi Kamada when his contract with Lazio expires at the end of June.
The 27-year-old Japan international joined Lazio also as a free agent from Eintracht Frankfurt on a one-year contract last summer. Since then, he s made a total of 38 appearances for the Serie A side in all competitions, scoring two goals and contributing as many assists from his position in the middle of the park. There have been negotiations over a potential new deal with the Biancocelesti, but they reached an impasse apparently over a release clause demanded by the player.
It seems Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who worked with Kamada at Eintracht, was aware of this development and called his former charge…
Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou is full of admiration for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, but fails to see many similarities between the pair.
Postecoglou’s youthful Spurs side face the biggest test of his early reign on Sunday when they make the short trip to the Emirates for the first north London derby of the season.
Second-placed Tottenham travel across the capital in high spirits but face an Arsenal team that are into a fifth season under Arteta, who also took over a club in the doldrums and has overseen a cultural change from top to bottom.
“It’s a great challenge for us as a football team that’s beginning on a journey and trying to have an identity in the way that we play.”
Ange previews Sunday’s North London Derby
— Totten…
Ryan Giggs revealed he spoke to his former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson before taking over as the new head coach of the Wales national team.
The ex-United winger, who spent 23 years under Ferguson s tutelage at Old Trafford, was confirmed as the new Wales boss on Monday.
Giggs appointment comes following Chris Coleman s resignation in November, while the 44-year-old was previously linked with managerial vacancies at the likes of Swansea City.
After Ferguson s United successor David Moyes failed to see out his first season, Giggs took interim charge of United for the final four games of 2013-14 and then worked as assistant to Louis van Gaal.
He departed upon Jose Mourinho s arrival and in a media conference on Monday, Giggs confirmed he had soug…
Borussia Dortmund star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has revealed that he could be interested in signing for Paris Saint-Germain.
The Gabon international has developed into one of Europe s finest forwards in recent seasons and has already scored seven goals in just nine appearances in all competitions in 2016-17.
Manchester City were linked with a possible move for Aubameyang during the most recent transfer window, while he has said on a number of occasions that he would like to play for Real Madrid.
But the 27-year-old has now claimed he could be tempted by the prospect of returning to Ligue 1 to join the champions, whom he claims have been in persistent contact.
At the end of my first season in the Bundesliga, there was contact, he told Onze Mondiale magaz…
Former Barcelona forward David Villa heaped praise on Pep Guardiola, labelling him as one of the greatest coaches in the history of football , while he backed the Spanish boss to lead Manchester City to Champions League glory.
After masterminding City s 3-1 win over Barcelona on November 1, Guardiola s men are now on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League knockout rounds.
City made it all the way to the semi-finals last season but Villa now captain of MLS outfit New York City having spent three years at Barca between 2010 and 2013 believes Guardiola is the man to help the Premier League giants reign supreme in Europe this term.
Guardiola is one of the greatest coaches in the history of football and I feel proud to have worked with him, Villa told Sky …
Liverpool continued their 100 per cent start to the Premier League season with an authoritative 2-1 win over Tottenham.
Georginio Wijnaldum scored away from home in England s top flight for the first time and Roberto Firmino gave Jurgen Klopp s men breathing space in the 54th minute.
Mauricio Pochettino s Spurs were again out of sorts following their 2-1 loss to Watford before the international break, with substitute Erik Lamela s stoppage-time goal giving the scoreline a very flattering look for the hosts.
The onus is now on Chelsea and Watford to keep pace with Liverpool when they host Cardiff and Manchester United respectively later on Saturday.
Back to work.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC)
Liverpool thought they had the lead inside 45 sec…
Barcelona great Carles Puyol claims he would not see a problem with Neymar joining Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain.
The Brazil international sensationally quit Barca for PSG in a world-record move worth €222million in August, only to be swiftly linked with a transfer to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Some have suggested Neymar only agreed to sign for the Ligue 1 powerhouse to ease his potential pathway to Madrid.
And while joining Los Blancos via the Parc des Princes would doubtless still be considered an unforgiveable betrayal among supporters of the Catalan giants, Puyol is realistic about the prospect.
I think he could join Madrid, yes, he told Brazilian newspaper Estadao.
I don t see any problem with it. He s a professional and it s not tha…
Borussia Dortmund made a winning start to 2017 with a 2-1 victory over 10-man Werder Bremen in a tempestuous match at Weserstadion.
Thomas Tuchel s side arrived in Bremen hoping to end a run of three straight draws in the Bundesliga and Andre Schurrle scored his first league goal for the club to put them ahead after just five minutes.
Werder were unbeaten in five matches going into the game and did their best to contain Dortmund until the 38th minute, when goalkeeper Jaroslav Drobny was shown a straight red card for a dangerous challenge on Marco Reus as the Germany international raced through on goal.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Bremen levelled the match after an hour when Fin Bartels raced clear of the Dortmund defence to score, but the visitors were…